Do Scientist Believe In God? Results from an Eight-Nation Study

Duration: 1 hour 18 mins

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Description:	The Faraday Institute and Christians in Science Public Lecture - November 2016


Created:	2016-12-12 12:23
Collection:	Faraday Institute Lectures
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	Faraday Institute
Language:	eng (English)
Keywords:	Faraday Institute; Christianity; Science; Ecklund; Sociology; Religious and Science; Rice University;


Abstract:	Scientists have long been associated with religion's decline around the world. But little data permit analysis of the religiosity of scientists or their perceptions of the science-faith interface. Here Ecklund presents the first ever survey and in-depth interview data from biologists and physicists in eight regions around the world—France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States (N = 9,422 surveys and 609 in-depth interviews). The data collection includes biologists and physicists at all career stages from elite and non-elite universities and research institutes. Ecklund and colleagues uncovered that in most of the national contexts studied, scientists are indeed more secular—in terms of beliefs and practices—than those in their respective general populations, although in four of the regional contexts, over half of scientists see themselves as religious. And surprisingly, scientists do not think science is in conflict with religion. Instead, most see religion and science as operating in separate spheres or, under certain conditions, actually collaborating. As part of her lecture she will pay particular attention to the UK and what implications these data have for the science and faith interface in the UK.

Abstract:

Scientists have long been associated with religion's decline around the world. But little data permit analysis of the religiosity of scientists or their perceptions of the science-faith interface. Here Ecklund presents the first ever survey and in-depth interview data from biologists and physicists in eight regions around the world—France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States (N = 9,422 surveys and 609 in-depth interviews). The data collection includes biologists and physicists at all career stages from elite and non-elite universities and research institutes. Ecklund and colleagues uncovered that in most of the national contexts studied, scientists are indeed more secular—in terms of beliefs and practices—than those in their respective general populations, although in four of the regional contexts, over half of scientists see themselves as religious. And surprisingly, scientists do not think science is in conflict with religion. Instead, most see religion and science as operating in separate spheres or, under certain conditions, actually collaborating. As part of her lecture she will pay particular attention to the UK and what implications these data have for the science and faith interface in the UK.

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